1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an arrangement comprising a panel-like electrical/electronic module having a flat surface with openly contactable connecting sections as part of an essentially flat printed conductor structure for the electrical connection of the module, and comprising a connection unit having electrical/electronic elements located on a printed conductor structure situated in a plane parallel to the printed conductor structure of the module and provided with means for contacting connecting sections of the module, so that the module is electrically connectable via the connection unit. The invention further relates to a connection unit for such an arrangement and to a method of producing such an arrangement. The invention further relates to a method of joining a connection unit to a panel-like module for creating such an arrangement, and to a device for joining a connection unit to a panel-like module for manufacturing such an arrangement.
2. Background Art
Panel-like electrical/electronic components are designed as solar power modules or solar power panels, for example. Such a solar power module comprises a plurality of individual solar cell arrangements which are situated behind a transparent protective layer, for example a pane of glass, with their photosensitive surface facing toward the pane of glass. These solar cells are electrically interconnected on the back side by means of printed conductor structures. The printed conductor structure used for electrically connecting the individual solar cells of such a solar power module is also used to connect the solar power module to additional solar power modules or to a network.
For this purpose, freely contactable connector sockets accommodated inside a connector socket housing are joined to corresponding connecting sections of the stamped grid so that these connector sockets can be contacted via a plug-in connector part having a complementary design. The connector socket housing having the individual freely contactable connector sockets provided as connecting sections of the stamped grid is integrated into the back covering of the solar cell arrangement. Such an arrangement also includes a connection unit which comprises a plug as a means for contacting the contact socket.
The plug itself is electrically connected with its male plug part to a printed conductor structure applied to a printed circuit board. The conventionally designed printed conductor structure is used to configure protective diodes which are necessary to prevent destruction of individual solar cells when the solar power module is partially shaded. Solar power modules must be resistant to wind and water over a period of at least 25 years. It is therefore important that the electrical junctions are protected from moisture penetration over their entire service life.
Thus, for protection of the plug-in connection the connection unit is inserted in a housing which is sealed and adhesively joined to the back covering of the solar power module. High temperatures are produced on the back side of such a solar power module, so that the connection unit and in particular the means provided for joining the connection unit to the solar power module must be correspondingly temperature-resistant. In addition, is important to ensure that the electrical/electronic components of the connection unit used, for example the protective diodes, do not become so heated during operation of the solar power module that they are destroyed. However, arrangements from the prior art do not always provide this assurance.
An electrical connection between the printed conductor structure of the connection unit and that of the module is relatively costly due to the use of plug-in connector parts. In addition, the plug-in connector part associated with the connection unit must be manually engaged in the sockets of the module. Even if a mechanical engagement of two plug-in connector parts were possible in principle, a certain overall height would be necessary for providing the plug-in connector parts. In particular for panel-like electrical/electronic modules, such as solar power modules, however, a design is desired which is as flat as possible.